Baluster for seating appliances.



E. P. WANNER.

BALUSTER FOR SEMIINJGAPPLIANCES.`

APPLICATION FILED Ausl-1, |914,

,235,263. Patented July 3l, 1917.

WITNESSES /NI/ENT?,

1* cross-bar-are joined by glue EDWIN P. WANNEER., F NEW YORK, N. Y.

BALUSTER `ron sEA'rrivG APPLIANCES. Y

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,295.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWIN I. IVANNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of N ew York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Balusters forSeating Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs and particularly to chairs of the kindhaving in the backs thereof a supporting member variously termed abanisterj baluster or splat This member usually comprises an uprightportion and a cross-bar or rung into which the lower end of the uprightportion is doweled, the upper end of the upright portion and the 'endsof the cross-bar being doweled into the main or arched part of thechair-back. The two parts-upright and or otherwise, but the joint isweak on account of the dowel and frequently breaks or loosens. My objectis to provide a` banister, baluster or spl-.it that will be peculiarlystronger and l. less expensive to manufacture than the old constructionbecause its upright and crossbar or rung are integral and that willfurthermore preserve in the chair a certain grace and appearance ofstrength and dura- I bility that eXist only when the individuality ofthe upright and cross-bar is retained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a caned furnitureelement of the kind whose reverse side is more or less exposed to view,such as a caned banister, with a novel means for obscuring the caningloops at the back that will improve the appearance of the caned part andsimplify the finishing treating thus involved.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which the invention is fullyillustrated,

Figure l is a perspective view of a chair provided with the improvedbanister;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the improved banister;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views of the banister on thelines x and 'y of Fig. l; and,

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating modifications of the means, shown in Figs.3 and 4, for obscuring the caning loops at the back of the banister.

In said drawings a is the arched frame or main portion of the back of achair and Z) the improved banister, the same including the plate-likeupright member c, which is number of layers e of sheet material, prcf'-,

erably wood, in which case the grain of adjacent layers is crossed, eachlayer being continuous or integral through the entire area in front orrear elevation of the ban` ister, that is, inclusive of its upright cand cross-bar (Z.

For the part of the banister comprehending only the cross-bar cl, thereare at one face of the banister-preferably the front face-other layers fof sheet material, likewise preferably of wood and, if so, having thegrain thereof crossed.

It will be obvious that a. banister so constructed is exceedingly strongand durable, especially since the parts c and Z are not jointed togetherbut are integral with each other. Further, that there is preserved inthe structure a certain appearance of individuality in the parts c and(Z, that is, they retain the appearance of being separately formed andof the cross-bar, by virtue of its greater thickness, being peculiarlyadapted for its function as a substantial brace con nesting the twosides or upright portions of the frame a.

The shape of the banister as seen in front elevation may vary inaccordance with any chosen designs.

'Ihe banister shown in the drawings is one which is caned, as at g, thecaning being placed at the front face of the banister and secured alongits margin by loops or lacings It, which appear inset at the back of thebanister on account of a groove z' formed in said back along the line ofthe loops or lacings. In an article such as a chair banister whose backis frequently quite as conspicuous as the front thereof, it is desiredto conceal the groove z' and loops h and thus impart a iinish to thework. This is usually accomplished by driving an insert strip into thegroove and then planing its exposed surface flush with the groovedsurface. It requires great care and skill to fit such an insert stripneatly, and the completed work seldom appears to good advantage.According to my invention I secure, by means of brads j or otherwise, aflexible covering strip 7c over and along the groove. This may be madein sections, as shown in Fig. 2. Outwardly, it

has the appearance of being halt-round in cross-section. On the innerside thereof I preferably provide a tongue Z to tit in the groove andretain the strip against displacement; but this may be omitted as shownat the lett in Fig. 5. Or the strip may be formed round incross-section, as shown at m, right of Fig. 5, and of Somewhat greaterdiameter than the Width ot' the groove, so that when secured in place itwill be wedged into the groove.

Besides imparting to the back of the banister a much handsomer finishthan is imparted by the usual insert Strip, my improved strip canobviously be applied much more quickly and Without the exercise of anyspecial skill.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto Secure by Letters Patent is zl. A banister for seating appliancescomprising an uprightplate-lilre member and a cross-bar member :formedof layers of sheetV material the part of each layer included in theupright member being integral With that included in the cross-barmember, kthe crossbar member being thicker than the upright member.

2. A banister for seating appliances comprising an upright plate-likemember and a cross-bar member formed of layers of Wood having the grainthereof crossed, the part of each layer included in the upright memberbeing integral with that included in the cross-bar member, and thecross-bar member having an additional layer or layersat one side thereofand being thus thicker than the upright member. v

3. As an article of manufacture, a caned furniture element having agroove at the reverse side thereof receiving, inset, the caning loops,and a exible strip Wider than and secured over and concealing lthegroove and having a longitudinal portion on its inner side fitting thelatter.

l. As an article of manufacture, a caned furniture element having agroove at the reverse side thereof receiving, inset, the caning loops,and a leXible covering strip in cross-section of substantially roundcontour and greater diameter than the Width of the grooaf'ej and heldengaged in said groove.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN P. VANNER. llitnesses JoHNlV. STEWARD, ALBERT J. LAMM.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, E. Q3.

